By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

AURORA - Charles F. Smith was a locomotive engineer for New York Central Railroad for 42 years.

Everyone called him "Smitty" although he called himself a "New York Central man" - even after the company was sold to Conrail.

He loved driving the trains, but retired 15 years ago to take care of his ailing wife, Ruth, during her final days.

Mr. Smith died March 27 at his home in Aurora of cancer. He was 78.

"He was just a wonderful guy. He was constantly doing things for other people," said his son, Kent T. Clark of Indianapolis.

For example, on several occasions Mr. Smith saw solitary, untended graves alongside the railroad tracks. "He would mark them in his mind, build a nice fence at the house, paint it and take it back there on his own time," to enclose the grave, his son said.

At other times, Mr. Smith saw children in ragged clothes running alongside the train trying to get him to blow the whistle. "He'd figure out which house they lived in and a couple days later he'd take groceries, a big box of clothes or whatever" and leave them at the door, his son said. "He'd never tell them who he was."

Born in 1926, Mr. Smith grew up in Cleves and Elizabethtown and attended Taylor High School. He quit as a sophomore to go to work.

When he was 16, he and a friend were fooling around with a pistol in the woods. The gun jammed and went off when his friend tried to unjam it. Mr. Smith carried the injured boy to the road, were he died in his arms.

When the United States became embroiled in World War II, Mr. Smith wanted to serve but didn't want to handle a weapon, so he signed on with the Merchant Marines.

For the next four years he worked in the engine room on ships that carried war supplies to France, England, Central America, the Central Pacific, the Philippines and Australia - his favorite destination.

"He was extremely proud of his Merchant Marine service," his son said.

Mr. Smith drove trolleys in Cincinnati before going to work for New York Central in 1947.

"He was one of those guys who could do anything," his son said. "He loved to work with wood. He built a huge, heavy workbench for a grandson six months ago." After his son loaded it onto a truck, Mr. Smith drove it to North Carolina by himself.

Mr. Smith was a former member of the Cleves life squad. He was also a member for more than 55 years of the North Bend Lodge No. 346 F&AM.

His wife died in 1989.

In addition to his son, survivors include three daughters, Yvonne L. Smith Ullrich of Cincinnati, Yvette L. Smith Kilgore of Mooresville, N.C., and Jane E. Jones of Indianapolis; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.

Services have been held. Burial was in Miamitown Cemetery.

Memorials: Shriners Hospitals for Children, 3229 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229; or the Dearborn County Hospital Hospice, 370 Bielby Road, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com